Thailand among leaders in internet and social media activity

Thailand is among the top countries in terms of internet usage, social media and e-commerce platforms, according to a DataReportal report.

Thailand ranks among the top countries in the world in terms of both time spent on social media and the number of users on social media platforms such as Facebook*, YouTube, TikTok and e-commerce platforms, according to an authoritative digital study.

The Digital 2024 Global Overview Report, produced by DataReportal in collaboration with Meltwater and We Are Social, shows that as of January 2024, Thais spend an average of 2.31 hours a day on social media, placing Thailand 17th in the world and above the global average of 2.23 hours.

The Southeast Asian kingdom also ranks in the top 10 for total internet usage time, with Thais dedicating an average of eight hours a day.

Thailand ranks fifth in the world for social media activity, with users using social platforms 24 hours a month, behind only Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, ranks third in the world in terms of Facebook ad reach, with 13 million active accounts. Globally, Thailand sits in ninth place with a Facebook audience of 49 million.

Thais spend 41.3 hours a month watching videos on video hosting YouTube, slightly less than world leader South Korea with 45 hours.

Thailand has around 18.7 million Instagram* users, spending 7.4 hours per month on the app. The kingdom also has the sixth-highest number of Facebook Messenger users in the world, with 35.5 million.

Thailand has the 12th highest number of X (formerly Twitter) users, with 14.6 million. Android users devote three hours per month to the X app, just below the global average of four hours.

The country ranks ninth in the world in terms of TikTok ad reach with 44.3 million active users, with the US, Indonesia and Vietnam leading the way. In terms of time spent on TikTok, Thailand ranks 15th with 38.2 hours per month among Android users.

Thailand leads in weekly online shopping, with 70 per cent of Thai internet users aged 16 to 64 shopping online every week. Thailand is second only to South Korea in weekly online grocery shopping, with 44 per cent of the kingdom’s internet users buying groceries online.

Each month, 31 per cent of Thai internet users use websites or apps to order food, giving Thailand 11th place in the world after Greece, South Africa and China. The global average for ordering food is 24 per cent of internet users.

In terms of on-demand (ride-hailing) passenger transport services revenue, Thailand ranks 23rd with an average of US$93 per user per year, behind leaders such as the US, Singapore and Switzerland.

In mobile payments, Thailand ranks 12th with 31 per cent of users aged 16 to 64 using services such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, behind Hong Kong, Taiwan and Ireland.

Finally, in mobile commerce, Thailand is in the top 20, with 31 per cent of internet users making weekly purchases via mobile devices, in line with the global average of 30 per cent of users.

– The social networks Facebook and Instagram are owned by Meta, a company recognised as an extremist organisation and banned in the Russian Federation.